Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Thinking about the photographs on his walls, and the way he reacted when he woke up, that makes sense. I want to ask her questions about him, but I don’t. It feels like a betrayal. I was given a little glimpse into his life, and maybe I’m being silly, but I don’t want to shine a light on it to other people.
There’s finally enough coffee in the pot, and Bonnie pours me a mug before warming her own. “Milk? Sugar?”
I nod. There is something I’m curious about, and in this case, Bonnie is the right one to ask. “Tell me about General. If it’s okay, I mean. You’ve mentioned him a few times, and he’s the one in some of the pictures, right?”
She nods, a wistful look on her face. "He used to be president of the Outlaw Sons. Hellfire was his second in command. Three, four years ago, we took in some new members who weren’t happy with how things were being run. At first it was pretty civil, but they were dragging us in a bad direction. General was never gonna go along with it. When they figured that out, they tried to start a war with the Screaming Eagles as an excuse to take over from the inside.” She snorts. “That’s your first clue they weren’t fit to run anything. They didn’t have the guts to build from the ground up and thought we’d be easy pickings. They shot General and tried to blame it on the other club. It nearly got us all killed, but in the end Hellfire put himself on the line and the Eagles helped us cut out the cancer. I executed the man responsible for General's death myself." Her expression turns rock hard, then softens again and she sighs. "Killed him with my old man’s gun. Didn't bring him back. Felt good, though."
The idea of funny, friendly, caring Bonnie blowing some guy's brains out seems so far-fetched that I don't feel like I should believe her, but I’ve seen a lot in the past couple days and I believe her. There's no denying the anger and sadness mixed in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"
She waves it off. "It’s reality. I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Part of being an old lady is knowing we take on a certain risk loving the men we do. I knew that going into it, but… Oh, he was my dream man. Still is, even if he's not here anymore. I’ve thought about leaving the club. Most would, and by all rights, Hellfire could boot me out whenever he wants, but this place is my life, and it’s my only connection to the man I love. I might not be wearing my property patch anymore, but it’s always there, and when my time comes and I join him, it’ll go into the ground with me."
"And your game controllers?" I tease, wanting to see her smile.
Her lips quirk upwards. "Maybe those, too. Like Ghost, General was a tough man, but he was good where it counted, right down to his bones. I'll never get him back, but I'll always have those memories."
"No kids?"
She shakes her head. "Nah, it never happened, and then we got old enough that we didn't want to go down that route. In some ways I regret it now, but in a way all these men are my kids." She looks meaningfully at the living room. "I know it’s fucked up and won’t last, but taking care of Anne has been the most fun I’ve had since General died."
I finish my bagel and lick the grease off my fingers even though there’s a napkin right in front of me. I’m just as bad as Anne. "I really appreciate you taking such good care of her. She’s having a blast. God, when I woke up today, I felt so bad, but I don’t think she even noticed I was gone."
"Trust me, she did. Sometimes she goes quiet, and I know she’s dealing with what’s happened, but she’s a good kid. Anyway, finish your coffee. I dug out a bunch more stuff that should fit you. They’ll come for you later and I bet you’d love a shower and a change of clothes before that happens."
"God, yes. I smell like a bar."
Bonnie snorts, then opens the door to the living room. I take a moment to give Anne a hug while she's playing. "Everything okay?"
"Aah! Watch the arm, I'm almost winning this!" A score pops up on the screen, and there seems to be some sort of pause, because she puts her controller down and hugs me back. "I'm okay. It's a little scary, but Bonnie is so nice to me. I know you're doing what you can to make this better."
Am I? Or am I doing everything I can to help myself, and just hoping she’ll be okay? I'm not sure what the right thing to do is. "I'm doing my best. Okay, I'm going to shower."